Small Business News

In the latest survey carried out by Instantprint, it was found that the East Midlands, Leicester topped the list of places for millennials to start a business. The research took into account what is important to millennials, their core values and the challenges they face when it comes to starting a business.

Giving back to the community and giving to charities has become a core part of most small business culture. From the Federation of Small Business (FSB), a ‘Small Business, Big Heart’ was published highlighting the ‘giving back’ attitude of small businesses in the UK. It is, therefore, the time for the Government to deliver on the National Insurance Contributions manifesto promise (NIC’s), which consisted of a year holiday from the NIC’s for small businesses.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has found that the small business confidence has hit the biggest low since the financial crash in 2011. The small business confidence was measured at -9.9, in their Small Business Index (SBI). The uncertainty that comes from Brexit is taking a toll on small businesses in the UK resulting in them being very unsure of what’s to come.

A recent Government report shows that £44.6 billion is owed to small-to-medium sized businesses in late invoice payments. While it’s hard to fathom how much impact this amount of money will have on the economy in general, it’s important to understand the impact it can cause business owners.

Mental health issues in the workplace have been a hot topic for some time and now even the government is recognising the issue. The issue of mental health problems being neglected in the workplace has a negative effect on everyone involved. Therefore, the government has pushed to tackle the issue. A new online service for employers has been launched to help them support and manage their employees with mental health issues.

In a recent study carried out by Paymentsense, it was found that female entrepreneurs were better at handling stress than their males counterparts. The research which looked at over 1,000 small business in the UK showed that women are good at handling business stress as well as men and sometimes even better. This should be encouraging to any aspiring female entrepreneurs, who want to take on the rewarding challenge of starting their own business.

Mental health issues plague the workplace as working conditions can sometimes lead to stress and anxiety. Although there is continuous progress being made to destigmatise talking about mental health, there is still a lot of work to do. Small businesses need to actively talk about mental health in the workplace, so employees can feel like it’s okay to talk about how they are feeling. Small business owners need to be the leaders and open up about the challenges and stress that comes with being in the workplace.

The chancellor has delivered his most small business friendly Budget to date. The Budget has bought in good news for the anxious small businesses. There is always a nervous environment pre-Budget, and small business owners can now breathe a sigh of relief. From the VAT threshold being kept at £85,000 to the fuel duty to be frozen for the ninth year running, the chancellor has been praised by the small business community.

The last Budget before the UK leaves the EU was revealed by Chancellor Philip Hammond at the Houses of Parliament today. With the country edging close to Brexit, and no deal in place, the small business community is facing an uncertain time. The chancellor has tried to immunise the community from the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and give a well-needed boost to high street businesses.

There are almost a million drivers on the UK’s roads who are behind the wheel of a company vehicle. A company car is a privilege and a great perk of employment. It is also an essential tool for those who need to spend time at the remote work site or meeting with customers, suppliers and business partners.

President Donald Trump’s nuclear sanctions on Tehran are having significant implications for a major European business, creating a climate in which other companies looking to expand business globally are growing concerned. In particular, many are worried about how they may be impacted by international relations issues, including sanctions and embargos.[read the full article]

Diversity in the workplace can be really beneficial for both the people who work for the business and the business itself. Every major city is multi-cultural, there are people from all over the world that live and work there. For example, London is one of the best cities in the world and it’s full of people from many different backgrounds, cultures, races, genders and sexual orientations. The diversity in the city should, therefore, be reflected in the city’s workplace too. Small businesses, in particular, need to encourage more diversity when it comes to the recruitment process.[read the full article]

In the most recent Small Business Index carried out for the third quarter (Q3) of 2018, it was found that small businesses are lacking confidence. The research carried out by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on a quarterly basis has seen the confidence of small business plummet for the third time since the Brexit vote. The confidence of the self-employed has also taken a big hit due to the government unfulfilling its promises.

Small businesses are worryingly unprepared for the possibility of a no deal Brexit, research has found. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) looked into how small businesses were preparing for the possibility, and the findings show a chaotic picture of the post-Brexit UK. Over 1,200 businesses were part of this research that was carried out this month. The whole country is unsure of what is to come with a no deal Brexit, but small businesses need to have a contingency plan in place to avoid chaos.[read the full article]

As the possibility of a no-deal Brexit deal increases, what would be the impact on our telecoms if it were to happen? Is it another cause for concern for small businesses or are there some potential benefits?[read the full article]

In a recent study conducted by FreeAgent, looking at the work habits of micro business owners and freelancers, it was found that they are creating a new phenomenon called workation. A workation is essentially working whilst being on holiday. This is not the ideal situation, checking work emails and doing admin whilst on holiday. The self-employed are workaholics and seriously need to find the balance between work and life. Holidays are a time to get away, switch off and rejuvenate, constantly working achieves the opposite of that.

Sometimes small businesses start out using e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and eBay to start their business. It seems that Amazon is currently the biggest player in the international market. A study carried out by Website Builder Expert, looked at the power that Amazon has and how it compares to the international competitors such as eBay and Alibaba. Worldwide online expenditure is expected to exceed £3.5 trillion by 2020, making the online market very competitive.[read the full article]

Small businesses are less likely than larger businesses to offer zero hour contracts when hiring. In research carried out by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), it was found that employers within the small business sector tend to steer clear of non-guaranteed hour contracts. It was also found that small businesses were already paying the new National Living Wage (NLW) of £7.43 before it rose in April. This makes small business a good choice of employer.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has carried out research looking at small businesses reaction to new credit. The study carried out had just under a thousand small business participants. One in three of those businesses say that the new credit is unaffordable. It’s making them hesitant to borrow funds, which are vital for growth. These findings come just ahead of Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates in the UK.